Woman fined K150, 000 for aiding suspect to escape

Machinga First Grade Magistrate Court has fined a 42-year-old woman K150,000 for aiding a suspect to jump bail by helping him escape to South Africa.

This is according to the district’s police publicist Davie Sulumba who has identified the woman as Rose Kwisongole.

According to Sulumba, Prosecutor Sergeant Boyce Kawonga based at Liwonde Police told the court that the woman earlier this month took the suspect known as Beston Chilima to South Africa.

Chilima was on court bail on charges of theft by servant and the lady was aware that Chilima was on bail but she took him without the knowledge of police and court.

When police noticed this, they arrested the woman and in court she pleaded guilty to the charge of aiding a suspect to escape contrary to section 117 of the penal code.

Prosecutor Kawonga asked the court to impose a stiff punishment to the convict because two sureties of the suspect who is currently at large suffered a lot by paying a bond of K100,000 each.

In mitigation, the lady prayed for fair punishment for she is a woman who takes care of her children and said she did it out of ignorance.

When passing judgement Machinga First Grade Magistrate Jones Masula said ignorance is not a defence in laws of Malawi and he therefore fined her K150,000 or in default 12 months in jail with hard labor.

Kwisongole hails from Nsamati village, Traditional Authority Kalembo in Balaka District.